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W. J. WEBB.

' YARN PRINTING APPARATUS.

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W. J. WEBB. YARN PRINTING APPARATUSL Patented Dec. 21, 1897. 2

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"WILLIAM J. WEBB, OF YONKERS, NEW YORK, ASSIGNQR TO THE ALEXANDER SMITH & SONS CARPET COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

YARN-PRINTING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 596,035,'da.ted December 21, 1897.

Application filed May 28, 1897. Serial No. 638,487. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM J. WEBB, a citizen of the United States,residing at Yonkers,county of Westchester, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Yarn-Printing Apparatus, fully described and represented in the following specification and the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the same.

This invention relates to improvements in yarn-printin g apparatus of that class in which the printing mechanism proper, consisting of a color-box containing coloring material and a distributing-wheel rotating therein, is removably mounted in a carriage adapted to reciprocate from end to end of a drum carrying the yarn, and which carriage is provided with rubbing appliances movable automatically into and out of operative position alternately at opposite ends of the movement of the carriage for engaging the yarn and removing therefrom ridges formed between two or more adjoining stripes of the same color applied thereto by the Wheel.

The present invention relates more particularly to such rubbing appliances and to means for automatically moving them into and out of operative position at the ends of the movement of the carriage in opposite directions, and also to means for retaining them, during movement of the carriage in printing, in the positions to which they are thus moved.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a yarn-printing apparatus embodying the present invention. Fig. 2 is a plan View of the same. Fig. 3 is a side elevation, on a slightly-enlarged scale, illustrating both of the rubbing appliances in inoperative positions. Fig.4 is a section on the 1ine4 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5 of Fig. 1 and omitting the traveling carriage. Figs. 6 and and 7 are details, on an enlarged scale, of one of the scrapers, Fig. 7 being a section on the line 7 of Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a sectional elevation of one of the rubbing appliances and a portion of the drum, illustrating the rubbing appliances in engagement with the drum; and Fig. 9 is a section on the line 9 of Fig. 8.

Referring to said drawings, the frame of the machine therein shown is provided with rails 2 3 for supporting a Wheeled carriage 4,

provided with cables 5 6, passing over pulleys 7 8, connecting with a suitable source of power for moving the carriage back and forth beneath the yarn-drum in the usual way. Hinged at 10 in the carriage 4 is a plate 11, provided with an opening 12, which registers with a similar opening beneath it in the carriage 4 for receiving the removable colorbox 13, containing the coloring material. On opposite sides of the opening 12 the plate 11 is also provided with journals 14 15 for receiving the shaft 16 of a distributing-wheel 17, immersed in the coloring material in the color-box 13, and which, during the movement of the carriage, engaging the yarn upon the drum 9, applies stripes of color thereto in the usual way. The plate will also be provided with the usual devices (not shown) for turning the distributing-wheel17 in the color- 7c box as the carriage moves under the drum, so as to insure thereon a constant supply of coloring material. The contact of the distributing-wheel 17 with the yarn-drum 9 is rendered yielding by the provision of a spring 18, secured to the carriage and engaging the under side of the plate 11, upward movement of the plate, color-box, and distributingwheel by the spring 18 being limited by a nut 19 on the upper end of a bolt 20, secured to the carriage 4 and projecting through an opening in the free end of plate 11.

On. opposite sides of the distributing-wheel 17 the carriage 4 is provided with a pair of rubbing appliances 21 22, each mounted in a rearwardly-inclined support 57 and provided with a rubbing-surface 21 22, respectively, which in the operative position of the rubber is adapted to assume an upwardly and rearwardly inclined position relatively to the 0 drum, as shown in Fig. 8, so as to contact with the yarn upon the drum with a pressure progressively increasing 'rearwardly. With a rubber so constructed and contacting with the yarn in this manner a more perfect rub- 5 bing and spreading action is obtained (and without removal of the coloring-matter from the yarn) than is possible with scraping or rubbing appliances such'as heretofore devised, which appliances either contact With roo the yarn at their edges merely or with uniform pressure throughout their lengths. These it forward.

rubbing appliances 21 22 are preferably also each constructed, as shown, of a block of semiyielding material, such as hard vulcanized rubber, which is rearwardly beveled at its upper end to provide an inclined rubbingsurface terminating in a sharp bearing rear edge. This construction is preferred because it is found that with such a yielding rear edge and an inclined contacting surface leading up to it a rolling action on each thread is obtained, resulting in a still more thorough distribution or equalization of color. Another reason for employing such yielding rear edge is that it avoids all liability of lateral displacement of the yarn threads by the rubber, as its rear edge yields sufliciently as it e11- ga-ges each thread to pass it without moving The connection between each rubber and its support 57 also is preferably such as to permit adjustment of the rubber longitudinally, such connection in the present case consisting of a wedge-shaped block 58, engaging a corresponding opening in the rear side of the rubber and provided with a screw or screws 59, passing through the support 57, by which the block 58 is held in looking position. To adjust the rubber, all that is necessary to be done is to loosen the screws 59 and move the rubber to the desired position, or it may be removed entirely for repairs or to be replaced by another.

The rubbing appliances 21 22 are adapted to be moved automatically into and out of position to alternately engage the drum by mechanism which will now be described. Each of the supports 57 of the rubbing appliances is loosely journaled on a shaft 23, secured between brackets 24, rising from the body of the carriage 4, and is provided with a spring 60, engaging a link 27 also journaled loosely on the shaft 23, and through which spring, as the link 27 is swung outwardly, the rubber is moved into and held yieldingly in operative position.

Movement to inoperative position of an elevated rubber is effected by a projection 25 on the link 27, which as said link is swung inwardly engages a projection 26 on the support 57 (see Figs. 6 and 7) and swings the latter,with its rubber, downwardly. This movement of the rubber may be assisted by a spring, as 29, connected to the link 27 and to the carriage 4, which will also assist in retaining the rubber in inoperative position. The link 27 is provided with a slot 28, receiving a pin 29, carried by an arm 30, secured to a rock-shaft 31, journaled between brackets 24. The rock-shaft 31 is provided with a second arm 32, connected byva link 33 to a lever pivoted to the carriage 4 in a bracket 34, such lever, corresponding to rubber 21, being for convenience numbered 35, while the lever corresponding to rubber 22 is numbered 36. Each of these levers 35 36 has pivoted to it a rod 37 38, respectively, provided at its lower end with a bowl 39 40, respectively, adapted to be engaged by tripping mechanism at opposite ends of the movement of the carriage, so as to effect the movement of the rubber into and out of rubbing position. The rods 37 38 for the two rubbers 21 22 and the connections between them and their respective rubbers are, as will be observed, located on opposite sides of the carriage.

From the foregoing it will be understood that as the rod 37 or 38 is depressed it will rock its lever 35 and through the link 33 rock the shaft 31 and move the pin 29 downwardly in the slot 28, thereby moving the link 27 outwardly and, through the spring 60, swinging the rubber 21 or 22 upwardly into operative position, in which position it is retained by the pin 29, which, as will be observed, in moving the link 27 outwardly moves past the rock-shaft 31 and becomes locked in that position. It will be understood also that as the rod 37 or 38 is raised the pin 29 will, through the connections described,be moved upwardly in the slot 28, thus drawing the link 27 inwardly and through the projections 25 26 and with the assistance of spring 29 moving the elevated rubber to inoperative position.

The tripping mechanism for engaging the rods 37 38 to move the respective rubbers 21 22 into and out of operative position consists of two sets of cams, one set, 41 42, for depressing the rods 37 38, respectively, and moving the rubbers 21 22, respectively, into operative position and the other set, 43 44, for raising the rods 37 38, respectively, and moving the rubbers 21 22, respectively, out of operative position. The cams 41 42 are located at 0pposite ends of the path of movement of the carriage and secured to rails 2 3, respectively, while cams 43 44 are arranged in line therewith and secured to the rails 3 2, respectively. From this arrangement of cams it follows that as the carriage reaches the end of its movement-toward the right, for example, Figs. 1 and 2with its rubber 21 elevated and rubber 22 depressed, the bowl 39 of rod 37 will be engaged by cam 44 at that end of the machine and said rod elevated, thereby rocking the lever 35 and moving the pin 29 from locking position inwardly in the slot 28. As the pin 29 is thus moved it will, aided by the spring 29, move the link 27 inwardly, and thus withdraw the rubber 21 from operative position. Simultaneously the cam 42 at the same end of the machine will engage the bowl 40 of rod 38 and depress said rod and through the connections described rock the shaft 23 of rubber 22, which is then in inoperative position, and move the pin 29 downwardly in the slot of link 27 corresponding to said rubber, which is thus through its spring swung into operative position and locked in that position by pin 29 ready for the return movement of the carriage. At the end of the movement of the carriage in the opposite direction the cam 43 will engage the bowl 40 and depress rod 38 and release the rubber 22, which is then returned to inoperative position, while cam 41,engagingbowl 39 of rod 37, will depress the latter and thus again render the rubber 21' operative.

During the movement of the carriage it will be understood that the elevated rubber following it, yieldingly supported by its spring 60, as it reaches the drum will be slightly depressed thereby and that as it passes under the drum its rubbing-surface will maintain an upwardly and rearwardly inclined position relatively thereto in contact with the yarn, the rubber being free to yield bodily and also adapted to yield at its rear bearing edge independently of its body.

As is well known, rubbing devices in yarnprinting machines are not used on the application to the yarn of certain stripes--as, for instance, a single isolated stripe of a color or the first or in some cases the last stripe of a series of adjoining stripes of the same color-the stripes upon which the rubbers are used depending somewhat upon the width of the rubbers employed and their position relatively to the distributing-wheel, and it is desirable' that during the application of the first and in some cases thelast stripe of a series and during the application of isolated stripes to the yarn both rubbers should be maintained out of operative position, as in such case if a rubber should contact with the yarn the color of one stripe would be forced thereby into the adjoining and difierently-colored stripe, thus blurring the pat tern. For this reason the cams 41 42, which throw the rubbers 21 22 into operative position, are made adjustable into and out of position for engagement with the levers 37 38, each of said cams 41 42 being hinged to the frame of the machine and connected by a link 45 to an arm 46, secured to a rock-shaft 47, mounted in suitable standards 48 and provided with an arm 49, connected bya link 50 to one end of a bell-crank lever 51, pivoted in a standard 52, and the opposite end of which is provided with a pin 53, entering a slot in a treadle 54, pivoted in a standard 55. On depressing the treadle 54 the cams 41 42 will be moved from operative position into inoperative position, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, and when so moved will permit the bowls 39 40 to pass without engagement. The bowl 39 or 40 of the rubber which is operative will then be engaged by the cam 43 or 44, as the case may be, and that rubber rendered inoperative. On the release of the treadle 54, which remains depressed until the print-- ing of successive adjoining stripes of the same color is resumed and the first stripe or stripes of said series upon which the rubbers are not to be used have been printed, the cams 41 42 will be restored automatically to operative position by a spring 56, secured to the rock-shaft 47 and to a stationary part of the machine.

The present invention may be used with rubbers of any suitable width and position relatively to the distributing-wheel, but they are shown as of about double the width of the distributing-wheel and mounted directly in line therewith, so that when operating they tion now pending in the Patent Office,in which I have fully described and claimed rubbers of such width and so positioned relatively to the distributing-wheel as to act upon the stripe being printed and the adjoining unprinted portion of the yarn, and preferably of the width and positioned as shown, and the method carried out by such rubbers.

I do not claim herein the combination, with the drum, carriage, and distributing-wheel,of alternately-operating rubbing appliances on opposite sides of the wheel, with tripping devices for effecting the movement of the rubbing appliances to operative position and to a position in which both are inoperative and adjustable into and out of the position in ,which they effect the movement of the rubbing appliances to operative position, nor the same feature with separate tripping devices for effecting the movement of the rubbing appliances to operative position and to a position in which both are inoperative, nor the means carried by the carriage for locking the rubbing appliances thereto and retaining them in operative position, as these subjectsmatter are included in another application now pending in the Patent Oflice.

What I claim is- 1. The combination with the drum, carriage and distributin g-wheel,of a pair of alternately-operating rubbing appliances adapted to yieldingly engage the material on the drum and provided with upwardly-inclined rubbing-surfaces engaging the material with progressively-increasing pressure, and means for automatically bringing one of such rubbing appliances into engagement with the material on the drum to rubthe color and causing the other to remain out of such engagement therewith, on each reciprocation of the carriage, substantially as described.

2. The combination with the drum, carriage and distributing-wheel, of a pair of alternately-operating rubbing appliances yieldingly supported for engagement with the material on the drum and adapted to yield additionally at their rear edges, said rubbing appliances being provided with upwardly-inclined rubbing-surfaces engaging the material with progressively-increasing pressure, and means for automatically bringing one of such rubbing appliances into engagement with the material on the drum to rub the color ICS ically bringing one of such rubbing appliances into engagement with the material on the drum to rub the color and causing the other to remain out of such engagement therewith, on each reciprocation of the carriage, substantially as described.

4. The combination with the drum, carriage and distributing-wheel, of a pair of alternately-operating rubbing appliances hinged to the carriage and adapted to yieldingly engage the material on the drum, said rubbing appliances being provided with upwardly-inclined rubbing-surfaces engaging the material on the drum with progressively-increasing pressure, and means for automatically bringing one of such rubbing appliances intoengagement with the material on the drum to rub the color and causing the other to remain out of such engagement therewith, on each reciprocation of the carriage, substantially as described.

5. The combination with the drum, carriage and distributin g-wheel, ot' a pair of alternately-operating rubbing appliances hinged to the carriage and yieldingly supported for engagement with the material on the drum and adapted to yield additionally at their rear edges, said rubbing appliances being provided with upwardly-inclined rubbing-surfaces engaging the material on the drum with progressively-increasing pressure, and means for automatically bringing one of such rubbing appliances into engagement with the material on the drum to rub the color and causing the other to remain out of such engagement therewith, on each reciprocation of the carriage, substantially as described.

6. The combination with the drum, carriage and distributing-wheel, of a pairof alternately-operating rubbing appliances hinged to the carriage and yieldingly supported for engagement with the material on the drum, each of said appliances consisting of a block of semiyielding material beveled at its upper end to provide an upwardly-inclined rubbingsurface for engaging the material on the drum operative position, and tripping devices cowith progressively-increasing pressure, and means for bringing one of the blocks into engagement with the material on the drum to 3 rub the color and causing theother to remain outof such engagement therewith, on each reciprocation of thecarriage, substantially as described.

7. The combination with the drum, cari riage and distributing-wheel, of arubbing appliance consisting of arearwardly-extending' block hinged to the .carriage and yieldingly supported for engagement with the material on the drum the upper end of said block being rearwardly beveled to form an upwardlyinclined rubbing-surface for engaging the material on the drum with progressively-increasing pressure, and means for automatically bringing said block into engagement with the material on the drum to rub the color, substantially as described.

8. The combination with the drum, carriage and distributing-wheel, of a rubbing appliance consisting of arearwardly-extending block of semiyielding material hinged to the carriage and yieldingly supported for engagement with the material on the drum, the upper end of said block being rearwardly beveled to form a yielding rear edge and an upwardly-inclined rubbing-surface for engaging the material on the drum with progressively-increasi11g pressure, and means for automatically bringing said block into engagement With the material on the drum to rub the color, substantially as described.

9. The combination with the drum, carriage and distributing-Wheel, of a pair of rubbers mounted independently of each other on opposite sides of the wheel and adapted to alternately engage the drum, tripping de vices, adjustable into and out of operative position, for effecting the movement of the rubbers to operative position, and means carried by the carriage for locking the rubbers thereto and retaining them in operative position, substantially as described.

10. The combination with the drum, carriage and distributing-wheel, of a pair of alternately-operating rubbing appliances mounted independently of each other in the carriage and adapted to yieldingly engage the material on the drum, connections for each, carried by the carriage, for moving it into and out of operative position and for looking it to the carriage and retaining it in operative position, and tripping devices coacting with said connections to automatically eitect the reversal of said rubbing appliances, substantially as described.

11. The combination with the drum, carri age and distributingwheel,of a pair of alternately-operating rubbing appliances hinged independently of each other to the carriage and adapted to yieldingly engage the material on the drum, connections for each, mounted independently in the carriage, for swinging it into and out of operative position and for looking it to the carriage and retaining it in acting with said connections to automatically effect the reversal of said rubbing appliances, substantially as described.

12. The combination with the drum, carriage and distributing-wheel, of a pair of alternately-operating rubbing appliances hinged independently of each other to the carriage and adapted to yieldingly engage the material on the drum, operating-levers for each, pivotally mounted in the carriage, for swinging it into and out of operative position and for looking it to the carriage and retaining it in operative position, and tripping devices coacting with said levers to automatically effect the reversal of said rubbing appliances, substantially as described.

13. The combination with the drum, carriage and distrib u ting-wheel, of a pair of alternately-operating rubbing appliances hinged independently of each other to the carriage, operating-levers for each, pivotally mounted in the carriage, for swinging it into and out of operative position and for locking it to the carriage and retaining it in operative position, springs interposed between said levers and their rubbing appliances for yieldingly supporting the latter, and tripping devices coacting with said levers to automatically effect the reversal of said rubbing appliances, substantially as described.

14. The combination with the drum, carriage and distrib uting-wheel, of a pair of alternately-operating rubbing appliances hinged independently of each other to the carriage, operating-levers for each, pivotally mounted in the carriage, for swinging it into and out of operative position and for retaining it in operative position, springs interposed between said levers and their rubbing appliances for yieldingly supporting the latter, springs connected to the carriage for retaining said rubbing appliances in inoperative position and tripping devices coacting with said levers to automatically effect the reversal of said rubbing appliances, substantially as described.

15. The combination with the drum, carriage and distributing-wheel, of a pair of alternately-operating rubbing appliances mounted independently of each other in the carriage and adapted to yieldingly engage the mate rial on the drum, tripping devices for effecting their movement to operative position adjustable into and out of operative position and other tripping devices for effecting their movement out of operative position, substantially as described.

16. The combination with the drum, carriage and distributing-wheel, of alternatelyoperating rubbing appliances on opposite sides of the Wheel, tripping devices adjust- -able into and out of operative position for effecting themovement of the rubbing appliances to operative position, and other tripping devices for efiecting the movement of the rubbing appliances out of operative position, substantially as described.

17. The combination with the drum, carriage and distributing-Wheel, of alternatelyoperating rubbing appliances on opposite sides of the wheel, tripping devices for eifecting the movement of the rubbing appliances to operative position, and other tripping devices for effecting the movement of the rubbing appliances out of operative position, substantially as described.

18. The combination withthe drum, carriage and distributing-wheel, of a pair of alternately-operating rubbing appliances hinged independently of each other to the carriage, operatin g-levers for each, tripping devices for engaging said levers to effect the movement of said rubbing appliances into operative position, said tripping devices being movable into and out of position for engagement therewith and other tripping devices for effecting their movement to inoperative position, substantially as described.

19. The combination with the drum, carriage and distributing-wheel, of the pivoted rubbing appliance 21, rock-shaft 31, connections between said rock-shaft andrubbing appliance, lever 35 pivotally connected to said rock-shaft and tripping mechanism for actuating said lever substantially as described.

20. The combination with the drum, carriage and distributing-wheel, of the rubbing appliance 21, link 27 for engaging the same, a spring interposed between said link and rubbing appliance, lever 35, connections between said lever and link, and tripping devices for actuating said lever, V substantially as described.

21. The'combination with the drum, carriage and distributing-wheel, of the rubbing appliance 21, link 27 for engaging the same, rock-shaft 31, connections between said rockshaft and link, lever 35 pivotally connected to said rock-shaft, and tripping devices for actuating said lever, substantially as described.

.22. The combination with the drum, carriage and distributing-wheel, of the rubbing appliance 21 provided with rearwardly-beveled upper end and rearwardly-inclined support therefor pivoted to the carriage, and means for adj ustably connecting said rubbing appliance to its support, substantially as described.

23. The combination with the drum, carriage and distributing-wheel, of the rubbing appliance 21 provided with rearwardly-beveled upper end and rearwardly-inclined support therefor pivoted to the carriage, wedge 57 entering a corresponding recess in the rubbing appliance, and a screw or screws connecting said wedge to said support, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my'hand in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

WILLIAM J. WEBB.

Witnesses:

RICHARD EDIE, Jr., ARTHUR LAND.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 596,035, granted December .21, 1897, upon the application of William J. Webb, of Yonkers, New York, for an improvement in Yarn-Printing Apparatus, an error appears in the printed specification requiring correction, as follows: In line 98, page 3, the Word the should read with; and that the said Letters Patent should be read With this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed, countersigned, and sealed this 11th day of January, A. 1)., 1898.

[SEAL] WEBSTER DAVIS,

Assistant Secretary of the Interior. Countersigned A. P. GREELEY,

Acting Commi'ssimm of Patents. 

